Description

WEST ANSTEY
SS 82 NW
1/44 Hill Farmhouse
- II
Farmhouse. Probably late C16, but earlier fabric may well be concealed. Roughcast
rendered stone rubble and some cob. Bitumenized slate roof to main range with gable
end to right, corrugated iron roof to lower end, hipped at left end. Axial stone
rubble stack with tapered cap heating inner room, and tall front lateral hall stack
with offsets and impressive rounded bread oven projection with slate capping.
Plan: variant 3-room and cross-passage plan, the wide cross-passage divided axially
to create small unheated front and rear service rooms, with an integral lofted
stables (with external access only) at left lower end, and hall, inner room and a
third service room (salting-house) to right.
As the roof structure has been entirely replaced over the main range in C20, the
full sequence of development is not recoverable. A massive solid wall partition
between the hall and inner room suggests the latter may well be an addition, whilst
the third room at the right end appears to have been added in the C17. The lower
end, including the "cross-passage" and stables, appears to have been rebuilt in the
C18. The original position of the stairs is unclear. A C19 staircase runs up rear
wall of inner room, and a steep stair ladder in the unheated rear room of the cross-
passage has been replaced in C20.
Exterior: 2 storeys. 4-window range. Principally early C20 fenestration, 2 and 3-
light casements, 4 and 6 panes per light, except for C17, 4-light mullion to ground
floor of service room at right end. C19 6-panelled door to left of hall stack.
Loft door over plank door to stables. The inner room has been built out as a
shallow gabled bay.
The interior has remained little altered in C20. Deep chamfered cross ceiling beam
to hall, and part of oak hall bench reused as hall fireplace lintel. Creamery niche
to left of former hall bench. Relatively narrow inner room has C19 chimneypiece
probably concealing earlier lintel. Axial chamfered ceiling beam with diagonal cut
stops and half beam towards front, indicating former position of front wall before
inner room bay was added. Salting room fittings entirely intact. Stable also has
mangers, partitions and loft floor intact.
Hill farmhouse is an interesting example of a long-house derived plan, with the
lower end still used for housing stock and the added service room beyond the inner
room. This type of plan is shared with Newland Farm House and Woods, West Anstey
(q.v.).

Listing NGR: SS8476526936

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26401132

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House